September 2018 Recap

September went by in a blur. The babe is 6 weeks old and we’re getting our footing a bit. A bit. I cooked a few things but my priority was hitting all the food groups for everyone and not worrying if meals weren’t my most exciting or inventive. I’m giving myself some grace and always striving for some advanced dinner prep while I’m home for maternity leave, especially since dinner time got wayyy crazier with a baby who hates 4pm-9pm and a toddler who is ready to play.

Some of my go-tos lately have been: sesame noodles & edamame; grain bowls (farro/sausage/zucchini); meatball sliders; eggs/breakfast; and salad bar. I’m 100% still obsessed with a pb&j smoothie I made non-stop while pregnant. I owe you the healthier reboot I took on this smoothie but it is saved on my insta-stories highlights for now. I have a new smoothie to share next month as well as the cutest seasonal appetizer ever.

I made this protein-packed salad as a twist on the Italian tuna and white bean salad.
The Three Bite Rule - Tuna & White Bean Protein Salad

Because they’re so easy and ohh-so-good, I made these chicken, bacon, cheddar, and ranch turnovers with crescent rolls. After these, the little guy and I made pizza ones with sauce, mozzarella, and pepperoni but we didn’t blog it.
The Three Bite Rule - Chicken Bacon Ranch Turnovers
Lastly, dessert is necessary in life and this cheesecake mousse parfait is perfectly packable to bring somewhere or was great mixed to order as you need a little sweet treat.
The Three Bite Rule - Cheesecake Mousse Parfaits

The Little Guy

I’m thanking our lucky stars that we’ve squeaked out this long (3.5 years and counting) of him in a crib. With the new baby I’m ever so thankful he’s happy in his bed/crib for now. I have a feeling the toddler bed in is in our future but I’m hoping he can hang on until baby sister sleeps through the night. One thing at a time, right? He is such a good big brother. He loves the baby and doesn’t mind that sometimes we divide and conquer. He has confirmed the only deli meat he’s into is salami. All grains are good- this month he really loved farro which I haven’t made in awhile. We’re all still popping cherry tomatoes from our plants as often as we can. He has especially loved pineapple and raw bell peppers this month.

The Baby Girl

1month
She’s about 6 weeks old now. Just like her big brother did, she struggles in the early evening. Around 4ish she can’t sleep and by 6 she wants nothing to do with anything. Nothing helps soothe her until 8 or 9pm when she’ll eat and then sleep. Apparently this is a thing- like sundowning. Our pediatrician says most work themselves out of it at 6 weeks-12 weeks. Here’s hoping it is any day now! It is emotionally draining, very tiring, and so sad. We’re also trying to give the little guy attention and love (as well as dinner & a bath) after his day at preschool so her screaming makes this timeframe even more exciting. Daytime she’s so happy and starting to smile! She eats every 3 hours and I cannot wait until I don’t have to wake her to eat. Ditto for evenings, we’re waking her every 4-5 hours to eat. Since she wasn’t gaining weight we’re not really at liberty to dismiss her doctor’s advice for eating.

This Year’s Goals:

Year of the candle: I got this pumpkin/vanilla-ish one 
Cook more appetizers/snacks: 
nope 
Taking time to blog thoughtfully: 
ehh. blogging at all is an accomplishment in my book.
Journal the cute moments of my little one: I slacked this month. 
What I’m reading: 
 I read The Vacationers; The Goldfinch; & The Last Mrs. Parrish 
What I’m watching: 
I’m into The Crown which is fun for some substance

August 2008 Recap & Baby Arrival

Baby girl is here! She arrived 6 loooong days late but we’re all doing great and are glad to be a family of 4! She’s so snuggly and sweet. August was so hot and humid and so hard to wait. The little boy was off to the beach for the week while we waited for her. After 15 hours of contractions at home, we went in to the hospital that night not sure if she was really coming and early the next morning, here she was!
Baby C

I may be back to blogging sooner than I thought. I’m anticipating doing more while on maternity leave than after going back to work so stay tuned! I have a few things lined up and I’m thinking maybe once a week might be the new norm. We’ll see!

I didn’t do meal prep before she was born but I put together some freezer kits to have dinner ideas and ingredients all set. Freezer food in the summer is tricky! I’m also lowering my expectations and focusing on everyone eating all the food groups. Also, the Trader Joe’s staples have helped with dinners- everyone’s favorite is the Orange Chicken over brown rice with edemame.

Freezer kits:

sausage & peppers: chicken sausages; sautéed onions & peppers; and rolls
meatball sliders: chicken meatballs & beef meetballs; pesto; tomato sauce; mozzarella; and slider rolls
taco kit: shredded pork; cheddar; roasted corn (needs tortillas & lettuce & salsa)
T&C

The Little Guy:

He seems so big! He got to go on the fam vacay to the beach while we waited for the baby. He’s adjusting pretty well. Week one was rockier, but it feels a bit better now. I can’t tell if he had a tough week just coming off the beach vacation, or just back to a schedule, or just life as a 3-year-old, or an adjustment to the baby. He is so funny when he talks about the basement reno and when he pretend calls the plumber and contractor. He made slime at school and really loves playing with it. Food-wise, he was thrilled to have edemame in the pods…he LOVES popping them out of the pod. PB&J is still his fav of all time. I have my fingers crossed that he stays in his crib awhile longer- until the baby sleeps through the night. Maybe? That would be awesome.

The Baby Girl:

She’s doing so well! She’s eating and sleeping quite well! Week 2 we got to transition from feeding every 2-3 hours at night to every 4-5 hours. Woohoo! Nursing is going well, and much easier than last time, so far, (knocks on wood!). I forgot that infants can sleep without having been being awake for long. Once a day she reminds us that she’s a newborn and she’ll do what she wants- even when she doesn’t know what she wants.

This Year’s Goals:

Year of the candle: this month it was a citronella 
Cook more appetizers/snacks:
nope 
Taking time to blog thoughtfully:
nope
Journal the cute moments of my little one: how he pronounces The Hulk as “the Julk”
What I’m reading: 
 I read a ton! I read Sweetbitter & A Reliable Wife & Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook; & Tender at the Bone & A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
What I’m watching:
nothing super special- Bachelor in Paradise, America’s Got Talent, a special about The Royals in preparation for The Crown that I plan to start.

July 2018 Recap

July was different. I’m so so so pregnant and waiting and hoping for this baby to come! I haven’t cooked much and am really focused on fast & easy meals that don’t require too much work. I grabbed a few things at Trader Joe’s being mindful of complete meals, not just items and that has been so helpful. We loved potstickers and fried rice and mini chicken tacos with fire roasted corn and orange chicken to go with rice & peppers. I think I need another haul before the baby comes! I haven’t prepped a bunch of food like last time, so maybe that’ll happen, or not. We’ll see!

This might be it for awhile- with any luck, the baby will be here soon and I don’t know that I have grand plans to blog anything! (hear that baby girl, come on out!)

Favs this month:

Flavored cream cheese was a fun and gave me lots of ideas. I made Honey Rosemary Cream Cheese and put it on BLTs before it being bfast. Then I made a different one that I’ll make again and blog for you.
Honey Rosemary Cream Cheese on BLTs - The Three Bite Rule
Life isn’t complete without a rice bowl like this Kielbasa Grain Bowl. I can’t stop. This one wasn’t the most creative, but it was so addictive and hit the spot.
Kielbasa Grain Bowl - The Three Bite Rule
I made a Light Lemon Dip that is ideal for this season of produce!
The Three Bite Rule - Lemon Fruit Dip

Bump Update:

Last one! Ohh I can’t wait for the baby- especially with my due date in the first few days of August. I’m done being pregnant. Can you tell? Have I mentioned that? I posted something on FB and wanted to slap the 2 people who apparently thought I needed perspective. pshhh. I think sage advice is to just encourage a pregnant person. I doubt any want your unfounded realism- no uterus, no opinion. Sleep is hit or miss and I’m so uncomfortable by the end of the day. I’m in a surviving-not-thriving state. We’re ready with everything so I’m in countdown mode.

The Little Guy:

He’s such a swimmer! We got him to try a different swim float. He wasn’t interested initially and I didn’t want to push it since all I cared about right now was comfort at the pool. Plus, there’s a lot changing in our lives so I didn’t see him wanting something different once he was committed to the boating-style life jacket. He tried it and success! He’s so proud of himself and it is much better so he can move around better and do more himself. Foodwise, he’s been quite into pesto and has surprised himself liking things he wasn’t thinking he’d try….we knew he’d like ’em, but hey- to be 3. He got some hand-me-down toys and is obsessed: a very loud fire truck that moves w/ lights & sirens; k’nex which are so fun and we make lots of monsters; duplos or what he calls “big legos”; and a track & vehicle set that might be less annoying when I’m not pregnant.

This Year’s Goals:

Year of the candle: nope, just enjoying the few that seem seasonal-ish. 
Cook more appetizers/snacks: 
I made Lemon Dip for Fruit
Taking time to blog thoughtfully: 
ehh, this wasn’t really something I focused on.
Journal the cute moments of my little one: I like when he says “maybe this should go here, maybe I want to use this train, maybe we should play ___”
What I’m reading: 
 I’m not sleeping super regularly so I’ve read a lot! I read Before We Were Yours and The People We Hate at the Wedding and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine 
What I’m watching: 
we watched Chappaquiddick which was fascinating and well done.

I think I’m done blogging until the baby comes and we’ve surfaced for air. Whenever that is. Find me on Instagram in the meantime!

June 2018 Recap

Countdown is ON. I’m now 35 weeks pregnant, with about 5 weeks left. Woah. June felt speedy probably also because it is the end of work’s fiscal year so there’s a lot happening. Everything I cooked this month was pretty quick without a ton of ingredients…perfect for summer, right?!

This month I made Mr. J’s birthday burger as a Garlic Lovers Burger which was fun. I also used a Beyond Meat one for mine and was really impressed!
The Three Bite Rule - Garlic Lovers Burger

I’ve been into smoothies so I re-did, and healthify a Chocolate Cherry Smoothie. The little one likes to have some when I do.
The Three Bite Rule - Chocolate Cherry Smoothie
This Honey Garlic Lime Shrimp was so perfect to balance the juicy shrimp with sweet and tartness.
The Three Bite Rule - Honey Garlic Lime Shrimp
I expect blogging to slow down a bit in my final stretch these next 5 weeks until my due date. Stay tuned for a few summer-y things- possibly with wider stretches between posts! Next week I have some extra days off so we’ll see if I can get some wish-list items made and I will likely post again after the holiday. Happy Independence day!

The Little One:

He’s all about the yard work right now- rakes, his mower or trailing daddy who is mulching/planting/and making a green house. He and I have been enjoying my summer Fridays with an early release. We’ve gone to new playgrounds, the library, and just been home for extra playtime outside. We did a joint bday & father’s day which was so perfect for swimming and grilling. He loved the big pool again this year and I was grateful he ate some of everything since celebratory meals aren’t when he can usually focus on eating his normal amount. Our town really loves Flag Day and the parade was fun. The amount of pasta and of rice/grains he can put away continues to astound us. He out-ate both of us the other night with pasta with pesto on it was quickly made before heading to a concert outside.

Bump Update:

I’m really feelin’ it and can tell I’m slowing down. Everything is getting hard to do. I often wake up around 4 which is not. fun. It does mean I am reading a lot. Food-wise I am super into smoothies- my fav right now is a green-based version of this PB & J smoothie. I re-do it soon with the healthier tweaks I’ve made. I made a Trader Joe’s run which I think will greatly expedite and simplify dinners. Hallelujah! While at TJ’s, I found individual serving packs of Chocolate & Cashew Trek Mix which is life-changing right now. I’m getting more full and wanted smaller but more frequent meals spaced out a bit more. Sometimes meals feel like a means to an end and I’m not super interested or passionate about the actual food. Baby girl is a mover & shaker…much like her big brother.

This Year’s Goals:

Year of the candle: I pulled out one I hadn’t tried yet that somebody gave me forever ago. It is sweet and quite fragrant. It is a good one since I smell so much while pregnant.   
Cook more appetizers/snacks: 
I made Breakfast-Inspired Deviled Eggs
Taking time to blog thoughtfully: 
ehh, this wasn’t really something I focused on.
Journal the cute moments of my little one: He tells us he was “dreaming about ____” which is means there’s something he wants to do. 
What I’m reading: 
 I read Big Little Lies & Sunshine Sisters and I’m almost done with another. 
What I’m watching: 
we watched Game Night which was so so funny. I started a binge list for maternity leave.

#Meatless Monday Recap #2

Back in January I instituted #MeatlessMondays into our weekly menu plan, though it isn’t always on Mondays. Since the last update, the name of the game is speed and ease. The little one is more into grains, veggies, pasta, and cheese than he is into meat at the moment so meatless is never a challenge for him.

Some of my favs have been the no-brainers, because that’s helpful for speed now that I’m verrrrry pregnant. I followed a few recipes that were great! I made a Roasted Veggie Lasagna from What’s Gaby Cooking with a cream sauce and I roasted butternut squash, zucchini, and grape tomatoes as the veggies.  Another recipe we loved was Peanut Rice Noodle Bowls with Curried Peanut Sauce from Eats Well With Others.

I made Tomato Basil Polenta Bowls with White Beans and it was so good!
The Three Bite Rule - Tomato Basil Polenta Bowls

We had a white french bread pizza and risotto and ravioli which are all fan favorites here.

This Tart with Potatoes, Gruyere, and Caramelized Onions was a hit for me, less so for everyone else.
The Three Bite Rule - Potato Tart
I put chopped veggie burgers into tacos with a little taco seasoning and voila, veggie & filling taco!

We had a few soups: Broccoli & Cheddar Soup  and grilled cheese with tomato soup.

One of the most fun meatless meals I made was waffle fry nachos with queso, avocado, shredded cheddar, peppers & onions, and salsa. So fun!

I’m fully willing to admit that my meatless meals are also serving us as the no-brainers I really appreciate to keep it easy. I’m 34 weeks pregnant and through my entire pregnancy I’m not “glowing” or whatever people say who enjoy this. I’m glad to get meals together quickly so we can all eat together, and keep it varied. They might not all be my most creative moments, but it is a good way to keep us varied.